Southampton boss Ronald Koeman rues injury to Victor Wanyama after win

Posted Thursday, January 15, 2015 by skysports.com

Ronald Koeman shakes hands with Mick McCarthy

Southampton boss Ronald Koeman admitted Victor Wanyama's injury put a dampener on his side's 1-0 win at Ipswich in their FA Cup third-round replay.

Shane Long scored the only goal of what was a scrappy affair in windy Suffolk conditions at Portman Road, with the home side unable to really get going all match.

An adductor strain saw Saints midfielder Schneiderlin miss the victory at Portman Road, but it was a hamstring injury picked up by Wanyama that really irked Koeman.

"It is really negative because already we have some other injuries," Koeman said.

"I already spoke before the game with Victor and Steven Davis as I had made the decision to give both players 45 minutes."

"Then 12 seconds before half-time, he got his hamstring injury and, OK, you know if it is really a hamstring injury then he will be out for four or five weeks."

"I don't regret playing him. He had some calf problems out of the game against Man United, but he trained yesterday."

"But, OK, we know we have a tough programme and we don't have a big squad to resolve that kind of problem with injuries."

"Schneiderlin has a little bit the same as he had when he came back from the French national team."

"It is an adductor problem in his right leg and he will be out for three or four weeks, like Toby Alderweireld, but we have a lot of young players."

Shane Long's first-half goal secured Southampton's place in the fourth round, with Koeman satisfied by his side's display against Championship promotion chasers Ipswich.

"I think it was a very serious performance tonight," Koeman added. "It was lucky we scored out of the first chance we got in the game."

"After that, we defended well, had good organisation in the team. I think we had some good opportunities in the second half in the first 10 or 15 minutes to create something out of that counter-attacking."

"But I am proud of the team, the players and how we showed our character today."

"It was difficult, it was a typical English cup game – long balls, battles, but a great performance from the lads and that is very positive."

Mick McCarthy was disappointed after defeat

It was a solid display from Saints that Ipswich counterpart Mick McCarthy could appreciate, even though that organisation made it a tough cup replay for the hosts.

"Of course it is disappointing for us all," McCarthy said. "Somebody said to me after (the home loss to Derby on) Saturday, 'oh, I am really disappointed' – well, we all are."

"We did not want that game to be like that. We wanted it to be a rip-roaring cup tie. They didn't allow it to happen."

"We should give a bit of credit to them. It is not always us that is to blame – we have tried our hardest, as we always do, but they had a damn good side."

"I watched them beat Arsenal, I watched them beat Manchester United, you know, so it is no great shame on us that we have lost to Southampton."

"The shame is, I guess, or the pity, is that we didn't have the exciting cup tie we were all hoping for."